September 5, 2021: Weight Lifting for Women

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I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard women say, “I just want to tone, not be bulky” (I’ve totally said it, too). But, what does toned even mean? This week, we’re going to talk about weight lifting for women in a way that actually achieves what we mean by “toned.”

Usually, when women talk about looking “toned,” they mean that they want to have a little more muscle but with more definition and not bulk. That’s probably the most common request I get from clients. So, how do we achieve this? The only way to get this toned look is to add some lean muscle mass while losing fat mass.

Lots of women get scared that if they pick up weights they will turn into the female version of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The problem with this theory is that, unless they are also consuming a large amount of anabolic steroids (unlikely!), this simply cannot happen.

Women can and should use a heavy weight load. Really, Kelly? Yep! In addition to the bulkiness fear, most women will underestimate their strength. Using heavier weights is not only important for building the muscle needed for the toned look, but it can also lead to increased self-confidence.

It is important to remember that no one ever became a bodybuilder by accident! It takes months and years of training with a strict nutritional plan. Whenever one of my clients talks about a celebrity they want to look like, she’s surprised that the celebrity got there by lifting weights under a challenging strength routine. Madonna’s claim of those arms being all from yoga is pretty unlikely.

It is important to understand that muscle bulk is largely dependent on testosterone. Compared to men, women just cannot create as much testosterone. Unsurprisingly, men create about 20 times more testosterone than women do.

Even under a “hardcore” strength routine, women gain muscle mass much slower than men do. Don’t be afraid to lift heavier! Of course, we always need to ease our way into any program, but increasing weight should be your goal, and the fear of lifting too much should not enter your mind. If your goal is between 6-10 reps, you want each rep to be challenging, not just the last rep.

Next Sunday, we’ll talk about the two types of inflammation - good and bad.

Want some expert help with reaching your health goals painlessly? Check out my programs! We’ll get everything taken care of in a way that fits into your current lifestyle so you never have to think about your health again.

Do you have a friend who could stand to G(her)ST? Feel free to forward this!

I hope you have a wonderful week,

Kelly

Kelly Morgan, Ph.D.

Tsirona - www.tsirona.com

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